California State University, Fresno School Colors
California State University, Fresno's school colors are Cardinal Red (#C41230) and Blue (#13284C). Fresno State's brand standards define 11 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Fresno State colors
According to Fresno State Athletics, the red and blue grew out of a dispute between women at Fresno Normal School, who favored blue and white, and men at Fresno Junior College, who favored red and white; the school settled on red and blue as a compromise. The green 'V' first appeared on the back of Bulldog football helmets in 1997; its green honors the San Joaquin Valley's agricultural tradition, and it is now worn by all varsity teams. Cool Gray joined the palette when the university logo was updated in 2009.
Sources: gobulldogs.com · marcomm.fresnostate.edu
Photo: Nweil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fresno State primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Red | #C41230 | 196, 18, 48 | 0, 100, 79, 20 | PMS 186 | |
| Blue | #13284C | 19, 40, 76 | 100, 87, 42, 41 | PMS 2767 |
Fresno State licensing colors
Fresno State's licensing art sheet specifies the same Pantone red and blue (186 and 2767) with slightly different print builds, Cool Gray 6 C instead of the brand page's Cool Gray 4, and Madeira and Robison-Anton embroidery threads. The green is reserved for the V.
Fresno State secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Gray | #CED1D4 | 206, 209, 212 | 0, 0, 0, 31 | PMS Cool Gray 4 | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — |
Additional Fresno State palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green V Color | #007935 | 0, 121, 53 | 96, 26, 100, 15 | PMS 356 |
Fresno State athletics colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno State Red (athletics) | — | 200, 16, 46 | 0, 100, 75, 4 | PMS 186 C Madeira Rayon 1477 thread RA 2263 thread | |
| Fresno State Blue (athletics) | — | 19, 41, 75 | 100, 87, 42, 41 | PMS 2767 C Madeira Rayon 1243 thread RA 2603 thread | |
| Green - for V only (athletics) | — | 0, 122, 51 | 96, 27, 100, 15 | PMS 356 C Madeira Rayon 1369 thread RA 2240 thread | |
| Black (athletics) | — | 35, 31, 32 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Process Black Madeira Rayon 1007 thread RA 2296 thread | |
| Institutional Gray (athletics) | — | 167, 168, 170 | 36, 29, 28 | PMS Cool Gray 6 C Madeira Rayon 1087 thread RA 2731 thread | |
| White (athletics) | — | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | White Madeira Rayon White thread RA White thread |
Matching Fresno State colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Fresno State's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to Fresno State's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 1158 styles close to Cardinal Red, 2023 styles close to Blue.
Clothing in Cardinal Red #C41230
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Cardinal Red, measured from the garment itself. 1158 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Blue #13284C
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Blue, measured from the garment itself. 2023 matching styles in stock.
Fresno State colors: frequently asked questions
What are Fresno State school colors?
California State University, Fresno's school colors are Cardinal Red (#C41230) and Blue (#13284C).
What is the hex code for Fresno State Cardinal Red?
Fresno State Cardinal Red is #C41230 (RGB 196, 18, 48, CMYK 0, 100, 79, 20).
What is the hex code for Fresno State Blue?
Fresno State Blue is #13284C (RGB 19, 40, 76, CMYK 100, 87, 42, 41).
What Pantone color is Fresno State Cardinal Red?
Fresno State Cardinal Red is PMS 186.
What Pantone color is Fresno State Blue?
Fresno State Blue is PMS 2767.
Why are Fresno State's colors Cardinal Red and Blue?
According to Fresno State Athletics, the red and blue grew out of a dispute between women at Fresno Normal School, who favored blue and white, and men at Fresno Junior College, who favored red and white; the school settled on red and blue as a compromise. The green 'V' first appeared on the back of Bulldog football helmets in 1997; its green honors the San Joaquin Valley's agricultural tradition, and it is now worn by all varsity teams.
Color values are taken from the official California State University, Fresno brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by California State University, Fresno. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.